Linden Endowment for the Arts

Italo Calvino Invisible Cities Project

2012-02-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Opening Exhibit
25/February/2012
3:00PM SLT

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA15/128/253/24

13 great SL artists involved in this project, builders and machinimamakers

Teams

-Cherry Manga - The Door of the Invisibles Cities (Ground Floor)
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-Marcus Inkpen- Cities & The Sky 1-Eudoxia (Floor 1)
-Fuschia Nightfire Machinimamaker
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-Romy Nayar-Ux Hax- The thin Cities 3- Armilla (Floor 2)
-Hypatia Pickens Machinimamaker
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-Lanjran Choche - MORLITA Quan The thin Cities 1- Isaura (Floor 3 )
-NicoleX Moonwall - Machinimamaker
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Machinimas Story (Floor 4 )
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-Rebeca Bashly- TRADING CITIES 5- Emeralda (Floor 5 )
-Spiral SilverStar Machinimamaker
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Collaborate:
Leona80 Mhia
Nadiemekiere Adamczyk
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Blog Invisible Cities & Channel

http://invisiblecitiessl.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/InvisibleCitiesSL?feature=mhee

The Wandering Goddess Explores 'The Order Of Perception' by Harter Fall

2012-02-23T16:51:00.001-08:00

A photo-tour of the recent 'Order of Perception' exhibit by Harter Fall. Must be experienced to be believed!
See the Photo Tour Now
Teleport to the Exhibit Now

Aequitas Field of View - Friday Feb 24th, 6pm

2012-02-23T13:04:00.006-08:00

Support the arts in Second Life

It is up to you to create your own reality. Visit LEA26 this Friday night and share your views in the form of a texture added to the texture boxes in the Field of View exhibition.

When - Friday February 24th. 6pm (or whenever you can make it)

Where - Aequitas Field of View at LEA 26

What - Once there you will see a bunch of boxes with pictures flashing on the top. If you hold the control key on your keyboard you can drag a picture from your inventory in to as many of the boxes as you want. The script inside will recognize the picture and it will flash on the top of the box with the others.

Methias Kira's Abstract Soul Midnight Zen Exhibit Opens FEB 18

2012-02-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

Abstract Soul pushes art within SL outside of the box and into a vibrant new realm of possibilities. Methias Kira's new exhibit opens SAT FEB 18 at Noon SLT. Don't miss the incredibleopening event!
Note: [-Abstract Soul-] is meant to be viewed at Midnight, so please set your sky to Midnight upon arrival! Thanks!
Teleport Now to Midnight Zen
More About Methias Kira
Methias Kira on YouTube

Aequitas Field of View project

2012-02-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

We would like you to be a part of our newest Aequitas debacle and overall unholy mess!

We wanted to make a place for everyone in Second Life to express their creativity together outside of an art environment. We have rows of boxes with images we’ve collected so far flashing on the top in the center of a hazy watery landscape. The whole thing looks like its disintegrating, but the first few rows are holding together and we already have some really fun stuff. We hope you will consider joining us.

It's easy to participate; we just need some textures. You could add any of those great second life photographs you have tucked away in your inventory or even make textures with messages you’d like everyone to read. The images can be no copy, no mod, no transfer, whatever makes you most comfortable to share what you have.

To get there, just follow this link to Field of View. Once there you will see a bunch of boxes with pictures flashing on the top. If you hold the control key on your keyboard you can drag a picture from your inventory in to as many of the boxes as you want. The script inside will recognize the picture and it will flash on the top of the box with the others.

The more images each box has, the more it creates a really cool changing mosaic or kaleidoscope. Each person who adds something becomes a part of the project.

We will be there to assist at 9am this Saturday after Freewee’s meeting but you can add textures any time. I.M. Sowa Mai or Banrion Constantine if you have any questions.

Thank You
Aequitas

ArtGyro Open Forum: The Cost of Art

2012-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday, 18 February, at 8:00AM SLT
ArtGyro LEA sim (LEA18)
http://artgyro.org/
Contact: FreeWee Ling

Following the first ArtGyro open forum on arts sustainability, three general areas of concern emerged: Commerce, Intellectual Property, and Legacy. Our next forum with be in the Commerce track and we will be discussing the cost of creating, displaying, selling, buying, and owning art. Everyone interested in the future of art in SL is encouraged to attend.

In preparation for the forum, here are some questions to stimulate conversation:

-What are the expenses related to creating, buying, selling, presenting, marketing?

-Who pays for what?

-Given the costs, can art be a viable business in SL?

-What are some examples of successful commercial galleries (i.e., those which sell art)?

-How are prices for art determined? (This may be a whole separate discussion.)
----------
Here are some minumum fixed costs that somebody usually has to pay for art (or anything else) to exist:

In US dollars per month:

Full sim tier: $295.00
Full sim prims: 15000
Exchange rate: L$ 244.22 = US$ 1.00 (Lindex 14 Feb 2012)
The cost of one Linden is approx $0.004
Cost of one prim: $0.019666 (just under 2 cents)
Cost of one prim: 2.08 Lindens

A land owner pays for land whether the prims are used or not. Any unused prims are waste, adding to the cost of the used prims. E.g., if half the prims on a full sim are used, it still costs $295, thus effectively doubling the cost per prim used.

A typical rental parcel can cost 20%-40% above the actual cost to the sim owner, so a gallery owner renting a parcel at a premium price must add that cost to the prim cost.

2D art on a single prim is pretty cost effective. But a single object of 100 prims costs MINIMUM $1.96 (208 Lindens) per month to show. If a gallery owner takes a modest 20% of sales, that object will need to generate at least $9.80 (2393L) in sales just to cover its cost.

Similarly, the buyer not only pays the price of the object, but must also pay for the tier to display it. The 100 prim object will cost $23.60 per year to display.

SANDBOXES: Unless you are using Linden-owned sandboxes, someone is paying the tier to let you work in SL. If you own or rent land, that person is you. If you do not, that person is someone else. Do you know who that is?

Secret Rage's~ A Dream Within a Dream~ Expo Opening

2012-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night 7 pm sl (February 18th)

...An earthbound multi-level land filled with vignettes depicting her nocturnal travels and visions~explore from deep underwater to reaching towards the sky...

Featuring live music by Tukso Okey, a headliner in Second Life (5+ years performance experience), and a performer with vast NYC stage experience (CBGB's, Kenny's Castaways, Knitting Factory, Red Lion, China Club, and hundreds more). Seasoned multi-instrument musician (drums, keyboard, guitar, bass, percussion, harmonica, vocals ~ *ALL PLAYED LIVE as one-man band during concerts). Genres include funk, blues, jazz, soul, psychedelic, rock on original music created on the spot in front thrilled and delighted audiences.

Front door

Musical venue landing

Call for Curators

2012-02-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

The LEA (Linden Endowment for the Arts) is issuing an open call for a
curator to curate a three-month exhibition on a LEA region. It is
possible we will have more opportunities for curators in the future.

We are seeking curators who will:

-- mount innovative exhibitions, installations, and/or experiences
that advance the field of virtual art

-- showcase works of art that are fresh, make use of the specific
possibilities of the virtual world environment, and engage the viewer-
participants in interactive, dynamic, and creative ways

-- creatively activate virtual spaces to attract visitors

-- build relationships among artists within Second Life, introduce new
artists to the attention of the arts communities, and foster
conversation about art within the communities

-- organize at least one event other than an opening during the three
months

-- promote the creative profile of the virtual world Second Life both
within Second and Life and beyond it

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Application is HERE.

The Path

2012-02-14T21:36:00.001-08:00

The Path was a build based around the Exquisite Corpse concept sometimes used by the Surrealists. Essentially each chosen artist adds to a composition in sequence. I invited eight artists whose work I admire, some have worked in SL for ages and are well known, while others less so but equally talented. Each artist was invited to stand on a coloured box and once all were ready I rezzed a chart which listed the sequence of scenes in a narrative by colour. So if red was first on the chart then the artist standing on the red cube would begin the narrative. The artist who goes first begins a story.
Imagine something like this "There once was a darling little girl named Gretchen. One day while playing in her room she heard heavy steps coming up the stairs to just outside her door. She quietly got up and peeked through the keyhole and saw..." Then artist one passes that off to the next artist in the sequence who reads it and continues the story. Artist two then passes it off to artist number three and so on until the final artist. You can imagine the infinite possibilities and the machinima shows how ours turned out. Below was the random order of artists.

1-bryn oh
2-colin Fizgig
3-marcus inkpen
4-desdemona enfield / douglas story
5-Maya paris
6-claudia222 jewell
7-scottius polke
8-Rose borchovski

Nice post by Rowan Derryth on the Path here
And an interview on Treet.TV.

2012-02-14T21:36:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Machinima: misfit Aboma meets Von Johin

2012-02-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

Incredible video featuring misfit Aboma's exhibit and the performance of Von Johin (machinima by GeoMeek). This beautiful work will take you on a ride!

See the Video

Teleport to Exhibit now

ArtGyro Gets a Boost

2012-02-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

ArtGyro is a project to bring people together to share concerns and ideas for sustainability in SL arts. Organizer FreeWee Ling has been talking with many key people about the issues for several months, quietly building support before launching the first open meeting. On Saturday 11 February roughly 25 artists, presenters, and others, gathered at the ArtGyro kiva meeting space on LEA18. The full transcript is on the ArtGyro website. The group is just beginning to gather momentum and the intense discussion from Saturday was very energizing. While it seemed somewhat chaotic at times, this was, in fact, exactly the process that was hoped for. In just over an hour's time we voiced many issues and were able to identify three primary tracks: Commerce, Intellectual Property, and Legacy; though there was definite crossover among all three categories.

Within the commerce thread, issues ranged from artist/gallery relationships to how to price art, to the cost of land and the viability of art spaces. Intellectual property issues included digital rights management, creator vs. Linden Lab rights, and the implications to value and price of setting various permission options. Legacy issues were largely focused on the desire for a repository of important work that is being lost due to prim limits and costs.

We are planning to hold regular meetings to continue these discussions, each meeting to focus on one of these tracks. The next meeting will be Saturday, 18 February, at 8:00AM SLT at the ArtGyro sim and will be focused on the Commerce track. A short list of questions distilled from the last meeting will frame the conversation and will be distributed ahead of the meeting via ArtGyro, LEA and other group notices, and on the ArtGyro website. Contact FreeWee Ling for details.

Take A Trip to Betty Tureaud’s Art Planet 2012

2012-02-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Art Planet 2012 is a truly transcendental work that must be seen (and heard) to be believed! Betty Tureaud's exquisite environment is a Second Life must-see.
Read a great review of Art Planet 2012
See beautiful photos from Art Planet 2012
Teleport now to Art Planet 2012

Transformation: Feb 26, 1pm

2012-02-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

an event
by
selavy oh @ LEA24

made possible by
Linden Endowment for the Arts

Aequitas, Field of View: Sun 2/12 9:00am

2012-02-11T10:35:00.001-08:00

This Sunday February 12th. at 9am you are invited to share your views in the form of art or text on textures at Aequitas, Field of View a Linden Endowment of the Arts exhibition at LEA26.

Field of View is a large scale collaborative, interactive, social art installation, a sim-wide artwork anchored by a mosaic of changing textures provided by participating residents. This and other weekly events provide an opportunity for any and all to visit the artwork, meet the artists, and participate in the work by dropping their own textures in to the hundreds of boxes equipped with random, replacing texture scripts.

Much like the artists’ previous project, Field of Voices, on the surface this project sounds deceptively simple but in execution promises to become much more than the sum of its parts. The site remains open to public participation 24 hrs a day with an event each weekend to meet the artists and connect the art to the participant on a personal level.

Field of View has developed in a world whose changing face has influenced the artists and subsequently the artwork. The optimism present in the Field of Voices has been replaced by a sense of decline in not only the art community of Second Life but the world in general. In the face of these troubles it behooves the artist to respond. The response to our call for textures has been slow. In the face of this reduced content stream the project has faltered with the original promise deteriorating and floating away. What once were bright new amusements are now charred remains. The bones of ideas lie bleached upon the sand. The project has become a sparse dim vision of decay and dissolution brightened only by the sunny photographs provided by the ever optimistic residents.

We need you to help Field of View realise its potential. These weekend events will give you a chance to connect with the art and the artists by contributing your views of optimism or pessimism in the form of art and text on textures. Each event will comprise a snapshot of an ever changing landscape fostered by the participation of Second Life residents and the continued unfolding of events on the world stage. Will Field of View rise from the ashes? Can the residents revive the dream? A work in progress always promises hope and so we will follow this work wherever it leads and join the community for the ride.

Be prepared to share your textures of art, snapshots, or dedications. Just hold control key and drop your texture in one of the boxes in the middle of the sim. As many as you want in as many boxes as you want. Any permission combination accepted. Your contribution creates the Field of View as a social documentary artwork.

Am I Dreaming?

2012-02-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Written and Illustrated by RAG Randt (Richard A Goldberg in RL)

This story was inspired by my then 4 year old niece, Hannah. For her birthday, her mom and auntie baked a scrumptious chocolate cake. After devouring a large slice, licking her lips and leaving a good amount on her face, she exclaimed with rapture “Am I Dreaming?”. At the same time, I heard about the LEA (Linden Endowment of the Arts) land grant offerings and quickly put in a proposal to turn a story into an interactive build. To my pleasant surprise, I was granted a half sim. I put together a story outline so I could begin construction and refined the story structure as I developed the 3D story. I believe 3D storytelling has great potential and was happy to explore its manifestation here in trying to capture the imagination of a child in a way adults can enjoy as well. The big moment came when I showed the real life Hannah the story. She was mesmerized and I that was the great proof of concept that I had hoped for.

I wish to thank everyone on the LEA board for the land grant that made this all possible. The timing was perfect. I also wish to thank my LEA neighbor Harter Fall for his generous help and in keeping me company on some long work periods. In no particular order I also want to thank Trill Zapatero, Fuschia Nightfire, Scottius Polke, Taralyn Gravois, FreeWee Ling, Karima Hoisan, Bellavista Eisman, Claudia222 Jewell, Maya Paris for their wonderful help and friendship.

RAG

LEA Full Region Endowment Application, Spring 2012

2012-02-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's time once again for applications to the LEA Full Region Endowment.

Linden Lab has generously donated 20 sims to the cause of art in Second Life, and it's time to take applications for their use.

Click on through for info and deadlines and all that: LEA Full Region Endowment Application, Spring 2012

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (FEB): 'YOU CHOOSE' by Romy Nayar & Ux Hax

2012-02-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, moves to February with Romy Nayar & Ux Hax at the helm for the LEA,presenting a mysterious serving of art called 'You Choose'. For the UWA SKY SIM Series, Giovanna Cerise will be bringing to us 'Cyborg -Nature' where Nature rebels against the thoughtlessness of man (more info on this later - Launch will be 6th or 7th of Feb).

GRAND OPENING

Date & Time: Saturday 4th Feb 2PM SLT

Location: HERE on LEA 6

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA6/251/214/20

IN ROMY'S WORDS:

"I think that the best words to describe the exhibit are:

You Choose it's a life trip. You Choose it's the decisions that you take. You Choose it's what you choose to be...

Do you think we have a destiny or do you think that all depends in the decisions that you take? Explore your destiny and be careful with the decissions that you will take...you choose.."

* The exhibit is best seen with the following Skysettings: Windlight Sky:"Bristol"

On Thin Ice by Chic Aeon

2012-01-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

Official Opening February 1, 2012 12 - 1 PM

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA12/120/135/21

Gallery meets exploratorium in an interactive journey with a reminder that as nations, individuals and species we are each day -- walking on thin ice.

Corridors twist and turn leading visitors on a personal and sometimes interactive adventure.

Nine galleries filled with sculpture, word clouds, machinima and poetry tell a story of where we are and the choices we face.

Choose a Roman Numeral to start your journey or grab a box of landmarks at the ground level ice flow.

Galleries include:

1 - Party at the End of the World (machinima)
2 - Finding My Way to Connection
3 - Do You See Me?
4 - The Last Rose (gift and photo op)
5 - Chained to Our Perspective
6 - Acid Rain (gift and photo op)
7 - Shadow Dancers (interactive)
8 - Teeter Totter
9 - Reprise

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES LINEUP JAN-DEC 2012

2012-01-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, which came to life in October 2011 following the end of the UWA FULL SIM ART SERIES has confirmed the full lineup for 2012.

For this series, each artist/group of artists will have a full 15,000 prim SIM for 1 month from the 1st day of the month, till the last day of the month. Events will launch when the artists say it is ready!

2012 LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES LINEUP

JAN 2012: Artistide Despres, 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World'
FEB 2012: Romy Nayar & Ux Hax, 'An Interactive History of Life'
MAR 2012: Kicca Igaly and Nessuno Myoo, 'The Labyrinth of Absurdity'

APR 2012: Athena Bedrosian, 'Mulligatawny Light -- A Journey'

MAY 2012: Fae Varriale, 'Mirror Worlds'

JUNE 2012: David Denton (DB Bailey: SL), 'In A Tizzy'

JULY 2012: Lolito Larkham, 'Walter's Dream'

AUG 2012: Cajska Resident (AKA Cajska Carlsson & previously Snubnose Genopeak, 'Whispers in Code'

SEPT 2012: Mary Wickentower, 'Cinema City'

OCT 2012: Solkide Auer, 'Architectonic Build'

NOV 2012: London Junkers, 'Project Guernica'

DEC 2012: Nish Mip, 'Animals'

PREVIOUS MONTHS

OCT 2011: Rebeca Bashly's 'Inferno', inspired by Dante Aligieri's Divine Comedy, Inferno
NOV 2011: Tyrehl Byk's "Catharsis" & quadrapop Lane's 'Retrospective'

DEC 2011: Haveit Neox's 'Second Libations'

January 15: Senses Places International Mixed Reality Participatory Dance Performance at InterACT! on LEA4

2012-01-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

SENSES PLACES / LUGARES SENTIDOS

January 15, 2012

5-8pm (GMT)

8-11am (SLT/GMT-9)

Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment at the closing of 3 months of virtual permanence @ InterACT! Virtual Interactive Artshow Second Life LEA4

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/52/145/301

By Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde & Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane

with

Physical-Virtual Performance by CILxJAM – Contacto Improvisação Lisboa Jam

@ Auditório BMOR, Biblioteca Municipal Orlando Ribeiro, Telheiras, Lisboa, Portugal

Artistic Direction: Isabel Valverde (Lisbon, PT)

Interfaces & Interactive Environment: Todd Cochrane (Wellington, NZ), Isabel Valverde, Keiji Mitsubuchi (Tokyo, JP)

Performers: Isabel Valverde, João Edral, André Mourão, Inês D’Almey, Janete, Rita Gaspar,

Avatars: Anisabel/Ana Moura, Lux Nix/Clara Gomes, In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida, Jun Makime, Yumi Sagara and others + all visitors appearing in Second Life as video images and avatars

Music: APROXIMATE (PT)

Technical Team: Nuno Loureiro, Isabel Valverde, Inês D'Almey (Lisboa, PT)

Biometric Device: ARTICA

Software Som: Nick Rothweel

Coordination: Isabel Valverde, Ana Rocha (PT)

On January 15, you can see for yourself the mixed reality performance/participatory environment that is Senses Places at InterACT! on LEA4. There are two ways of interacting with your avatar from outside of the Second Life interface: the webcam interface and the wii mote. For the wii mote, you need a mac computer (that is the platform the program you download was written for), but for the webcam, all you need is the webcam, and the HUD available at Senses Places. Instructions are at the environment, too.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WEBCAM, LIVESTREAM, & WII MOTE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE SENSES PLACES ENVIRONMENT

SENSES PLACES
Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment

With livestream video of performers in Portugal and Japan who will also be in SL, as well as the opportunity for you to participate in SL, with or without a mixed reality component of your own with webcam or wii mote. If you have either of those, you can manipulate your avatar from outside SL. Come over and experiment with other people who are doing that, too, and see what it's like.

Instructions and a HUD are available at the Senses Places environment,
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/53/144/301

@ INTERACT! LEA4's Festival de Arte Interactiva Virtual

Second Life > 15 Outubro a 15 Janeiro.

Curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay (Berklee College of Music; USA)

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/19/7/21

PROGRAMA

Português

Nesta última performance participativa de realidade mista no contexto do InterACT! com a CILxJam, vamos ter uma última oportunidade experimentarmos as interfaces de forma corporealizada através do movimento entre corpos físicos, imagens e avatares numa interacção de grupo. Começaremos por receber os participantes guiando-os na corporealização das interfaces do projecto: Livestream, Webcam and Nitendo’s Wii mote. Introduzindo os participantes na relação com o seu e outros corpos físicos e imagem video através do Livestream, e com avatars através da Webcam e da Wii mote, pondo-as a funcionar na hora.

Seguidamente prosseguiremos com a jam-performance participativa própriamente dita, numa perspectiva de Underscore, improvisando em conexão consciente com as muliplas percepções cinestésicas, visuais, auditivas, tacteis, de equilíbrio, temperatura, etc, deixando-as guiar as nossas acções. Esta abordagem inclusiva veem emergindo durante as jams semanais com experiencias de practicas somáticas relacionadas, como o BMC, Release, Alexander,Tai Chi, Authentic Movement, Reiki e Butoh.

PROGRAM

English

In this last participatory performance we will have one more chance to learn how to interact through your movement with your and other avatars. We will start welcoming the physical and virtual participants, leading them to embodied interaction with 3 types of interfaces: Livestream, Webcam and Nitendo’s Wii mote. Introducing participants to the relation with their image through a livestream broadcast, and with the avatar through Webcam and Wii mote.

Next we will improvise with one or all of the interfaces focusing on the grounding while interacting with ourselves and others in the physical and virtual space, as physical, image or/and avatar bodies, becoming aware of the multiple perceptions shifting and progressing leading our connected actions/choices. Movement and contact/connection (physical and virtual) will start slow for allowing the awareness of sensing the micro events and interactions, multiple channels of local and remote communication.

Sobre o Senses Places

Português

Senses Places/Lugares Sentidos é um ambiente participativo e de performance em realidade mista. Uma colaboração em dança-tecnologia gerando interfaces multimodais para o corpo inteiro canalizada para uma abordagem de dança somática transcultural. Senses Places stressa a consciência e integração perceptiva simultânea local-remota, em que os participantes e ambientes se encontram e envolvem cinestéticamente/sinestéticamente.

Que realidades corporealizadas e trocas culturais específicas emergem neste envolvimento multi-participativo? Ligados entre si e a avatars através das interfaces sugeridas: Livestream, webcam, Wii mote e, brevemente o Kinect, tudo depende da atitude dos participantes na experiência interactiva com os seus corpos físicos, mediações vídeo, animações dos avatars, e/ou alterações ambientais.

About Senses Places

English

Senses Places is a playful mixed reality performance environment for audience participation. An ongoing dance-technology collaboration generating whole body multimodal interfacings keen to a somatic cross-cultural approach; Senses Places stresses the awareness and integration of simultaneous perceptive, local-remote connections, where participants and environments meet and engage kinesthetic/synesthetically.

What emerging embodied realities and cultural specific exchanges will surface by the multi-participant varied involvement? Linked to avatars through the suggested interfaces: Livestream, webcam, Wiimote©, and soon Kinect©, it all depends on the participants’ attitude throughout the interactive experience through their own and each others' physical bodies, video mediations, avatar moves, and/or environmental changes.

Apoio/Support:

Biblioteca Municipal Orlando Ribeiro, PT

WelTec, Wellington Institute of Technology, NZ

IHSIS, Institute of Humane Studies and Intelligent Sciences

IST/Taguspark, Oeiras, PT

DH, Digital Hollywood University, JP

Senses Places Blog: http://sensesplaces.wordpress.com/

Linden Endownment for the Arts Blog: http://lindenarts.blogspot.com/2011/11/mixed-reality-participatory.html

CILxJAM Blog: http://contactoimprovisacaolxjam.blogspot.com

NOTE ON INTERFACES

Senses Places SL environment is always open and you can get the 3 desktop-free interfaces from the SENSES PLACES Giver. Just copy and follow the instructions.

You need to have a webcam, and for the wii mote, a mac computer. And an extra camera for the livestream video.

We would appreciate if you send some comment or feedback about your experience or contact us in case you have a problem running the interfaces at

http://sensesplaces.wordpress.com

or sensesplaces@gmail.com

Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!!

* * * * * * ANYONE IS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * COME ON IN * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LEA MONTH OF MACHINIMA FOR JANUARY -- & SOME CHANGES AHEAD FOR LEA MACHINIMA

2012-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Terrific films organized around the theme "Black and White" will be screened at the fabulous LEA Theater on Wednesday, January 4, 5PM. Come and see them with the machinima community (always a fun crowd). Hopefully some of the filmmakers will be there to talk with L1Aura Loire about their films and machinima-making, and together we'll celebrate the art of machinima, machinima art, and machinima that showcases art.

We'll also celebrate the fine run we've had with these monthly screenings, and bring this format to a close. The Month of Machinima playlist on youtube, of all the selected films, has 78 unique, creative, innovative glimpses into what can be visualized and experienced with machinima, grouped loosely around the monthly themes that provide continuity among the selections. When I add the ten films for January, which was one of the strongest submission fields we've had, there will be 88 films and over 5 hours of machinima. Something to make all of us proud.

There will be some changes to the LEA machinima initiative happening soon, and we have to stop the monthly treadmill of submissions and screenings in order to figure out the next steps. So, we will NOT be accepting submissions for February, and as of now, the current monthly format is suspended. Check back here on the blog for the next cool machinima thing that you know you'll want to be in on. And join the Linden Endowment for the Arts Info group, if you like keep to posted through a Second Life group, too.

THE FINAL Month of Machinima Screening!
WEDNESDAY, JAN 4, 5PM PST (SL TIME)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA1/250/16/21
http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA2/246/243/21

Films will play at the theater as of January 4; right now, the December ones are there!

Thanks to LaPiscean Liberty and AViewTV for streaming.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (JAN): Artistide Despres' Musical Ma

2012-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, moves to January Artistide 'Artee' Despres at the helm for the LEA, presenting a musical feast with what is believed to be the longest title ever announced, 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World', far cry from its original title in early proposals, which was 'Research on Musical Instruments'. For the UWA SKY SIM Series, Asmita Duranjaya along with Louly Loon and ChapTer Kronfeld are presenting a delightful collaboration entitled 'Between Orient & Occident'.

GRAND OPENING: 2PM SLT, THURSDAY 5th JAN 2012

LOCATION: HERE @ LEA 6

Report on Quan Lavender Blog

IN ARTEE'S WORDS:

Sometime ago, when it was known I will have to make a full sim installation at LEA, I saw the possibility to gather all my music instruments in one scene. Although code writers and 3D modelers are mostly working alone behind the keyboard, I found myself much influenced by what was happening in the world. The crisis, OWS, Fukushima, the war machine, everywhere. My small creative ivory tower was under attack.

THEME
On the rest of a tiny island Artée is defending her last bastion. Clusters of Greek holidays houses are popping at random and big gray financial buildings are growing all over the place. The music instruments restrained in a small area have no choice but trying to play in tune. The visitor will be tempted to play around, but will still feel the oppression of the world behind the broken dome.

THE MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
All instruments are playing music with a certain level of randomness. The Coney Island attraction in the middle plays short sample based on the rotation of the platform, while the visitors (and a rusted ball) create random WIZZ-PAW-BLOP. 'Petite Etude sur Olivier Messiaen' uses a complex formula where many parts interact and collide to create some sounds of short samples. Like an African instrument, a white drum produces notes at random while the wind of the sim gives a variation of the execution speed. The three blades of 'Harmony in C Great' keep on moving and buzzing while a discrete piano sequence gets through.
Twelve dwarves spring in the merry-go-round and more…

ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
This build is a mix of several techniques, please set the 'Media' and 'Steaming Music' OFF and be sure the 'Sound Effects' are ON. You will need a MESH-ENABLED viewer like SL-Viewer3 or Firestorm (i haven't tested the last). Many objects are using my 'super physical' script that allows to interact and move your avatar while walking.
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LEA Month of Machinima for January

2011-12-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

The screening event will be Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 5 PM SL time (PST), and here are the films selected around the theme of Black and White. As always, we have a range of genres and styles representing the creativity and ingenuity of Second Life machinima, and selections that showcase art machinima, the art of machinima, and machinima about art.

We receive more submissions than we can choose for a month's program, and here are this month's selections:

Spiral Silverstar
black and white ain't always nice

cisko vandeverre
der erlkönig / the elfking by joh.wolfgang von goethe

Aiden Witrial
black and white

Miles Eleventhauer
Miles11Hour Episode Six - 'A Great Day In Virtual Harlem'

Botgirl Questi
Botgirl and the Living Dead Doll

M4SK22 Melody
Down and Out

Draxtor Despres
Flufee on a Meshion - Episode 8: Mesh Noir...

Mary Wickentower
Zwart en Wit - LEA MOM entry

Chic Aeon
Shades of Gray

Contessa Idlemind
B W 02

Come to the LEA Theater on Wednesday, January 4, 5PM, and screen these terrific films with the machinima community, and hopefully some of the filmmakers will be there to talk with L1Aura Loire about their films and machinima-making.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA1/250/16/21
http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA2/246/243/21

Films will play at the theater as of January 4; right now, the December ones are there!

Thanks to LaPiscean Liberty and AViewTV for streaming.

Disembodiment: Interview with Glyph Graves about His Kinect Performance

2011-12-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

Artist Glyph Graves has pushed the boundaries between virtual and physical realities once again. He programmed and scripted his own hack for the Kinect to map and move his real life physical body and movements onto virtual objects in Second Life. Glyph's earlier piece, "Faceted Existence," (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q5N1X5Cs30) used 2500 spherical primes to indicate his face, which loomed large above avatars in the virtual landscape, and was revolutionary as the first use of Kinect to make art that others could see, as opposed to only controlling an avatar with the alternative controller.

"Disembodiment," the new performance piece that Glyph debuted at the Linden Endowment for the Arts exhibition, InterACT! on Sunday, December 4, 2011, extends his previous experimentation to represent not only his face, but now a body represented by spheres. Here he discusses how and why:

Lori Landay (L1Aura Loire): Can you tell us how you use the kinect controller to manipulate objects in Second Life?

Glyph Graves: For those that don't know what a kinect is, it's a sensor device that can capture depth and shape data using a combination of infrared and visible light. I take the data and stream it into Second Life, then reconstruct the shapes by positioning prims.

For all of us technical geeks, how about some more detailed specs? The rest of you can take a catnap and come back for the answer to the next question!

I first made this in August right after the face piece but never got round to showing it except to a few people.

I used the Microsoft kinect drivers on a PC. Using C# programming language I can access the inbuilt functions that pull out skeletal data ... that is the screen positions of the body's joints, like hips, elbows etc.

I extract this data using my own functions and server code on my pc. From there it goes to my off world server then to the receiving program in world

The whole process is a loop of programs ... it is triggered from within SL which sends a request to a php program I wrote on my off world server (there are actually two here). The request then sends a request to my pc to send any data it has ( I usually have 5 frames of data at any one time), which it sends back to the php program then into SL.. This SL program then moves each prim in the linkset then sends a request for more data. At the same time it takes my RL hand positions and maps them to sets of notes. Thus my body becomes a musical instrument.

Several different people figured out hacks for kinect or wii mote, including other artists at InterACT!, but what you do that is unique is to use the interface to make an art performance that people can watch that is separate from using the controllers to move the avatars. How did you come up with the idea?

Both the face and this were made in September -August and do something quite different to the triggering of premade animations in avatars which are the pieces that you are referring to.

The idea of using the kinect or wii to trigger pre-made animations in your avatar has never appealed to me. I feel the use of prims allows a more direct and personal representation. It doesn't rely on the presence of a set of pre-made animations that may or may not correspond to what you are actually doing. That was done in SL more than 2 years ago using mocap software.. Ohio Uni?

What interests you about this kind of art and how does it connect to your other work?

I have played with the idea of merging the physical world and SL to make joint world pieces for a long time now and have used it in pieces like "Cells" in May 2010 and "Antarctica: an individual existence" ( Sept 2010) and had a whole sim installation this year devoted around the concept and which featured not only "Faceted Existence" but pieces like "Forest of Water" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaEFX38bp8U

This took real time data from individual rivers (each individual tree used the data of a different river ..about 35 in all) in the states and in interaction with avatars moving through them mapped it to the note sets of several different instruments. "Enfolded" was another piece at that installation. It took real time satellite data of the earth's magnetic field and rotated the prims elements in the sculpture to create a dynamic real time visual piece.

Thanks very much, Glyph, for explaining your work, and for experimenting with and exploring the boundaries between the virtual and psychical worlds with your art. I'm delighted that you performed "Embodiment" at InterACT! an exhibition by the Linden Endowment for the Arts showcasing interactive virtual art on LEA4 in Second Life, where your installation, "Diversity, A Tapestry Spun" and also "Antarctica" can currently be seen and experienced. I can't wait to see what you do next.

LEA4: InterACT!

A Linden Endowment for the Arts exhibition showcasing interactive virtual art

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/21/10/21

Month of Machinima: New Link for Submission Form & December Program, "Endings"

2011-12-08T04:21:00.001-08:00

NEW LINK FOR SUBMITTING FILMS:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B5QSLCD

The deadline for January is December 15. The theme is "Black and White." Interpret that in interesting ways in films made with machinima that focus on the arts, highlight the art of machinima, or are art films.

The selected films will be screened at an inworld event on the first Wednesday of the month at the LEA Theater and also on the Month of Machinima YouTube channel.

We had a great screening event last night for the December Month of Machinima program, "Endings."

Here are the films:

Star M4SK22 Melody

A Womans Trial Chantal Harvey

The Minoan Empire Tikaf Viper

Self Conclusions Bleu Oleander

Sad Robot Urban Steampunk

Gibbet by Mary Wickentower

Navi Navi Laurina Hawks

AND remember!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B5QSLCD

Tonight! December Month of Machinima Screening Event 5 PM PST

2011-12-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Come over to the LEA Theater on LEA1-4 & screen this month's selections around the theme of Endings. 5 PM PST. Live conversations about the films with the filmmakers who are there tonight and as always, the excellent company of the talented machinima community of Second Life.

InterACT! with Kinect by Glyph Graves, Sunday, Dec 4, 6 PM

2011-12-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

Remember Glyph Graves's groundbreaking use of the Kinect interface to control objects in Second Life in a representation of his moving face?

Well Glyph's been working on something new as part of his installation at the LEA art exhibition, InterACT! on LEA4 that he'll perform tomorrow (Sunday) December 4 at 6 PM PST. Come on over and see what experimental hijinks our favorite scientist/artist is up to now.

Here is the info you need:

InterACT! with Kinect

A performance by Glyph Graves at LEA4

Sunday, December 4, 6 PM PST

SLURL for performance on Sunday: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/130/99/21

Part of his installation at InterACT! "Diversity--A Tapestry Spun"--look at it from above as well as experiencing it from within.

ALSO: Experience Ataro's Asbrink's Coded Movie, new at InterACT! and only recently unveiled at LEA4 at last week's MachinimaMonday meeting.

AND: probably a surprise or two

LEA4: InterACT!

A Linden Endowment for the Arts exhibition showcasing interactive virtual art

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/21/10/21

Curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Visual Culture & Interactive Media, Berklee College of Music

Virtual art can invite, or even insist, that you interact with it. The artists in this exhibition cleverly and creatively make art out of interactions between data, objects, actions, and people within and beyond the virtual world in a stunning array of installations and experiences that stretch the possibilities of virtual art. Expect the unexpected, and click whenever you can. #interactLEA

Installations by:

Ataro Asbrink, "Coded Movie"

Eupalinos Ugajin, "Bateau à planter des îles" ("Islands planting boat")

Glyph Graves, "Diversity--A Tapestry Spun"

Lorin Tone, "The Sound Garden"

Maya Paris, "soon, soon, quick, quick, soon"

Misprint Thursday, "Is It Real?"

PinkPink Sorbet, "The Beauty of LSL"

Selavy Oh, "The Rules"

Performances at Senses Places, to be announced. Environment open for interaction always. Get HUD and instructions at:

Check LEA blog http://lindenarts.blogspot.com/ for schedule. Or join the LEA information group at the entry to the exhibition.

Senses Places - Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment by:

Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde, PT

Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane, NZ

In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, JP

Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida; JP

Anisabel/Ana Moura, PT

With: Mesh by Sage Duncan, Machinima Mutoscope Viewers by FreeWee Ling, Flickr Viewer by Solo Mornington (coming soon), Twitter Cove by Frans Charming, Plants for Underwater Danger Garden by Alexith Destiny, Inner Tube ArtTaxi Ride by UzzU Artful.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES: Haveit Neox's 'Second Libations'

2011-12-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

THE LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES moves on to December, following two truly stunning months, with Rebeca Bashly in October and Tyrehl Byk with quadrapop Lane in November. The baton passes to Haveit Neox and 'Second Libations' which has already provided us a stunning preview! Luna Metamorphia's 'Interactive Zoo of Endangered Species' will showcase the associated UWA SKY SIM Series following on from RazorZ and jjccc Coronet.

Grand Opening: 2PM SLT, Saturday 3rd December
Location: LEA6 - CLICK HERE

In Haveit's Words:

THE STORY

The great cosmic storm swept up the last of Earth’s water molecules. On the lifeless planet, the only remaining intelligence flickers on computer screens. In the absence of human maintenance, bot scipters, bot artists, and bot teachers scramble to rescue their resources before the impending threat of blackout.

Like the sorcerer’s apprentice, they begin flooding their world by rezzing buckets of virtual water, in the hope of rehydrating their users. Their strategy needs assistance. Not having been programmed for an unforeseen event of this magnitude, the bots plea for your solution in securing their virtual world.

The Second Libations await your offering. Will you be the one to rescue the world of the bots?

A PREVIEW OF SECOND LIBATIONS

EXHIBIT TOUR

1. The Colossus

You arrive to Second Libations by way of the ‘real world’... an Earth become desert. Walking through the computer screen doorway of a pyramid, you enter the virtual world: a place where only bots have survived the desiccation. The interior ramps of the pyramid relate the story in floating short texts. Suddenly you fall through a phantom floor from the austere colorless pyramid, to a welcoming stage saturated in rich hues. Bots line up to welcome you into their electronically generated culture.

As you pass down the stairwell, vending posters offer complementary temple garb to wear if you choose. Have you noticed that you have been walking and tumbling inside a colossus? From the pyramid in the sky to the seabed below, his charge is to deliver you to the Temple of the Bots.

With yet another drop to speed your journey, you find yourself at the bottom of the sea. Houses flooded in the virtual sea were once homes to users. Follow the arrows to the grand marble staircase. It leads you to shore.

2. The Temple of the Bots

Sea level brings you to the inner sanctum: the Temple of the Bots. Here, the bot scripters, bot artists, and bot teachers compose their ideas in an effort to preserve their internet existence. You face three doorways on entering the building. Each takes you via a short labyrinth to reach the main rooms. The signs over the doorways are clearly marked with pictures to show what lies beyond. The three rooms are:

a) Banquet of the Artists. An accumulation of artworks are arranged around the room. The map for the Banquet (included in the free vendors inside the colossus statue) gives more detailed information about the artworks. On the way to the Banquet, you will pass a very colorful installation which has a copy of one of my real life palettes as part of the composition.

b) Librarynth. After you negotiate the bookcase maze, you reach the study area of the teachers where a collection of texts by Second Life residents are displayed. The statements answer the question ‘how will the bots survive without human maintenance’. Do you have an idea to contribute? Please click on the cube in teacher's book and follow the instructions to submit your idea.

c) Scripters’ Web Tower. A mirrored floor captures the magic of the scripters. The bullet shaped dome, rising high into the sky is composed of spiders and their communal web... the very web that makes up the internet. Giant entropic inducing creatures feed upon the spiders, thereby threatening the virtual world’s network. Along the way to the tower, you will also pass the Frogs’ Stage with yet another proposition for bot survival, and the DaVinci cell, where bots attempt to script the Creation of Man to life.

Tour the rooms in any order you wish. Along the way, there are surprises to keep your labyrinth promenade varied.

THE FINALE

On Dec 31 2011, the last day of Second Libations, there will be a dramatic end to the exhibit. If you like seeing big things come apart, this may be something you will want to catch. I will be posting the time for the event on the ACCalpha blog when I have the schedule set up. Please check by late December. See the address below.

Further information:

Updates about the exhibit will appear on the ACC Alpha blog at: http://accalpha.blogspot.com/

A film trailer about the exhibit is posted on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMJd2zBCUgg&hd=1

Welcome to Second Libations. As explained above, you may be a part of the exhibit by submitting a text for display.

Haveit Neox

December LEA Month of Machinima

2011-12-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

The screening event for December will be, as always, on the first Wednesday of the month, which is December 7. We're going to try an earlier time: 5pm PST so our European machinima-enthusiasts don't have to stay up so very late.

More details, like which films are in this month's program, on the theme of Endings, soon!

See the page in the Destination Guide: http://secondlife.com/destination/month-of-machinima-kickoff-event&siteID=lduJYCD3lT8-I1slB94l0JjP2KcfRD4pCg

Announcing Recipients of the LEA Land Grants

2011-11-25T10:57:00.001-08:00

We are very happy to announce the recipients of the LEA Land Grants!

This project has been "under construction" for a long time now, and we are very excited to have finally reached this point where the dream has become a reality. We would like to thank Linden Lab for graciously donating all the land for the grants, which demonstrates their continued support for the arts in Second Life.

We received many moreapplications than we had regions for, and the decisions weredifficult. We thank everyone for applying, and encourage everyone to apply for other LEA land grants that we may be able to offer in the future, as well as explore the LEA Sandbox land curation and future land rushes as other opportunities to get land for yourproject with the support of the LEA.

Without further ado, here is the list of recipients in order by first name:

Artistide Despres
Charlotte Bartlett
comet Morigi
Freewee Ling
Glyph Graves
Harter Fall
Merlino Mayo
Mikati Slade
Misprint Thursday
Oberon Onmura
RAG Randt
Secret Rage
Selavy Oh
Sowa Mai
Ux Hax
Zachh Cale

Please stay tuned for announcements as these various exhibits become ready for viewing.

Congratulations all of of the recipients and we look forward to working with you on making your vision a reality!

- The Linden Endowment for the Arts Committee

Mixed Reality Participatory Performances at InterACT! on LEA4

2011-11-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

At SENSES PLACES a Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment by Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde & Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane with Anisabel/Ana Moura, Lux Nix/Clara Gomes, In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida, Jun Makime, Yumi Sagara and others, you can always experiment with livestream video with your webcam, the HUD available at the environment at LEA4, and a wiimote, if you have one.

For pictures, see: http://ll2ndlife.blogspot.com/2011/11/interact-with-mixed-reality-at-lea4.html

And then there are performances with people in SL and streamed video of dancers in Portugal and other locations around the world, including Japan, scheduled for the duration of InterACT!, so between now and January 15, 2012.

EVERY TUESDAY, 3-5am and 6.30-8.30am (PST/GMT-8)
AND SATURDAY, November 26 5-7pm (SLT/GMT-8).

LEA4: InterACT!
A Linden Endowment for the Arts exhibition showcasing interactive virtual art
SLURL to go to LEA4

Curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Visual Culture & Interactive Media, Berklee College of Music

Virtual Permanence Dates/Times/Place:
OCTOBER 15 to JANUARY 15, 2012
LEA4 (52, 145, 301)

Physical Presence:
October 15
2-4pm (SLT/GMT-8), 9-11pm (PT/GMT)
Ler Devagar, Lx Factory, Alkantara, Portugal

November 26
5-7pm (SLT/GMT-8)
November 27
1-3am (PT/GMT)
9-11am (JPT/GMT+8)
Ler Devagar, Lx Factory, Alkantara, Lisboa, Portugal
Digital Hollywood Univ., Tokyo, Japan

Tuesdays, October 25, 2011 to January 14, 2012
3-5am and 6.30-8.30am (PST/GMT-8)
11am-1pm and 2.30-4.30pm (PT/GMT)
7-9pm and 10.30-12.30pm (JP/GMT+8)
Instituto Superior Técnico/Taguspark Campus, Oeiras, Portugal

Senses Places SL environment is always open and you can get the 3 desktop-free interfaces from the SENSES PLACES Giver. Just copy and follow the instructions.
You need to have a webcam, and for the wii mote, a mac computer. And an extra camera for the livestream video.
We would appreciate if you send some comment or feedback about your experience or contact us in case you have a problem running the interfaces at
http://sensesplaces.wordpress.com
or sensesplaces@gmail.com

Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!!

Description
Senses Places is a playful mixed reality performance environment for audience participation. An ongoing dance-technology collaboration generating whole body multimodal interfacings keen to a somatic cross-cultural approach; Senses Places stresses the awareness and integration of simultaneous perceptive, local-remote connections, where participants and environments meet and engage kinesthetic/synesthetically.

What emerging embodied realities and cultural specific exchanges will surface by the multi-participant varied involvement? Linked to avatars through the suggested interfaces: Livestream, webcam, Wiimote©, and soon Kinect©, it all depends on the participants’ attitude throughout the interactive experience through their own and each other’s physical bodies, video mediations, avatar moves, and/or environmental changes.

Tuning the audience participants into several whole body modes of physical-virtual body-body and body-environment interactions, within a physical and virtual environment (Second Life©), Senses Places re-purposes recent Web 2.0 enabled game devices with a synergetic/semantic approach to interface design. The interfaces include, video and avatar mediations via Webcam, Wiimote©, and Kinect©, plus a biometric device.

Through an inclusive process engaging kinesthetic empathy, Senses Places deepens contemporary dance practices, such as, Contact Improvisation and Butoh, interweaving Eastern-Western somatic based practices, like, Tai Chi, Yôga, Body-Mind Centering, Release, and Alexander Techniques. The improvisation evolves in a sharing of corporealized places, times, and energies, encouraging a fuller experience of the moment.

Senses Places wishes to contribute to enlarge the range and interconnectedness of sensory-perceptions within the already complex practice of group improvisation, proposing a constructive and transformative means of inter-subjective and collective socialization, reversing the dead end substitution, gender and movement cultural stereotypification, and instrumentalization of bodies by avatars in social networks, such as Second Life©.

We are interested in:
- How are we differently affected by interacting with our avatars while seated at the desktop, and/or by actually moving/dancing with them?
- How can body-avatar embodied experiences challenge subjective, inter-subjective/social and cultural mixed-reality presence and mobility, instead of substituting or instrumentalizing the physical by the virtual embodiment?
- How can a somatic cross-cultural dance approach allied to the new technological potential mean a overall mentality and paradigm shift?

Senses Places Blog: http://sensesplaces.wordpress.com

* * * * * * ANYONE IS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * COME ON IN * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

'The Path' on Metaverse Arts

2011-11-12T12:42:00.001-08:00

Metaverse Arts did a really great couple of articles on the LEA exhibit 'The Path,' organized by the LEA's own Bryn Oh.

The first is an overview of the work.

The second is a video-cast featuring interviews with some of the artists involved.

Go look. :-)

Month of Machinima YouTube Playlist Is Back!

2011-11-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

We're back! The October and November selections are on the LEA Month of Machinima YouTube channel and we're getting ready for the December round, on the theme of Endings, to close out the year. The deadline for submissions is November 15, so there are a few more days. Information is here.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (NOV) : ACT TWO of the TYREHL BYK SHOW!

2011-11-09T05:44:00.000-08:00

ACT TWO of Tyreh' Byk's November Tour De Force is titled ~(Not-a-Knot). The opening of the build and the 1st performance in it will take place on Friday November 11 at 6:00 PM SLT.

Due to popular demand, that evening at 9:00 PM SLT NOVEMBER 11th Tyrehl will be performing an encore of his Particle Phantasmagoria piece from last year. That will be running throughout the weekend as well as other scheduled and unscheduled performances in ~(Not-a-Knot). Check the calendar at http://bit.ly/nHNQbO for a current performance schedule.

~(Not-a-Knot) DECONSTRUCTED

Tyrehl Byk's performance art/constructed reality piece is a conceptual work that may serve to unpack a viewer's sense of the function that language serves in daily experience. During one's exploration of the work, Byk sometimes tickles, and other times assaults the viewer's attachment to the idea that a word and it's correlative experience is personal, identical and unchanging. It may also serve to help undermine one's sense that a person's in-world experience is distinct from his or her off-world reality. As such, it can be at once an interesting experience for some, and a disquieting challenge for others.

The title of the piece ~(Not-a-Knot) -- pronounced: "Not, not a knot." -- serves to highlight the fundamental underpinnings of our struggle for clear and non-dual awareness in a world that seems to be continuously attached to a state of confused, dualistic meaning.

Periodically during the exhibit, the artist will be present, sometimes performing maintenance checks on the mind, and at other times pouring fuel on the fires of confusion.

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL POST ON LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES FOR NOVEMBER

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (NOVEMBER): Tyrehl Byk's CATHARSIS & quadrapop Lane's RETROSPECTIVE

2011-11-03T20:41:00.001-07:00

TYREHL BYK'S CATHARSIS

The stunning opening to the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, Rebeca Bashly's Inferno was a hard act to follow. Tyrehl Byk's Catharsis however has already proven to be a more than stunning follow-up for the November month. Long term champion of the arts in Second Life, and the original curator of the UWA 3D Art Challenges, quadrapop Lane shares the ground of the SIM with "Retrospective Highlights of 4 Years of SL" which will evolve as the month progresses.

Tyrehl Byk Premiere Public performance: November 4th, 2011 6-PM SLT
START LOCATION FOR TYREHL'S BYK


QUADRAPOP'S RETROSPECTIVE

quadrapop Lane's Retrospective Open throughout November START LOCATION FOR QUADRAPOP LANE

Quad's retrospective includes works such as Ultra Violet, a Grand Finale work for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, which is a collaboration between quadrapop (prims & textures) & Corto Vieria (sculpt maps) from August 2010, sea grass fronds and the Rainbow Metallic Sea from 2008
among others.

Tyrehl Byk's "Catharsis" is an immersive, 24 minute adventure ride into the curious, the irreverent, through the sublime, and back out the other side.

Using a specially scripted theater, Byk takes control of the audience's cameras and, (if Second Life is behaving well), synchronizes a sequence of scenes that rely heavily, but not exclusively on the use of particle effects to interpret a musical track including compositions in a variety of styles from contemporary to classical.

While it would be easier to simply create a machinima of the sequences, Byk has chosen to offer this process as performance art, in order to remove the idea of an unchanging linear experience that may be captured, commodified, and assimilated alone, and replace it with a shared, group experience that is never the same twice.

The nature of the Second Life construct informs the performance with its own curious continuity, supplemented by the qualities of the each audience member's viewing platform, viewer settings, and bandwidth connection to the internet. All of these combine to make each performance of the work unique, not just from an overall perspective, but for each and every participant.

Audience members are encouraged to arrive early and please, please, *PLEASE* remove all heavily scripted items before the program begins to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

Those lucky enough to be invited to a special private screening before the public launch were astounded:

"Amazing, astounded at the work involved. this masterfully shows what is possible when you control the viewpoint of your audience. Expertly done particles and editing of the music and visuals. Tyrehl is surely pushing the limitsand setting new bars for others to aim for." quadrapop Lane

"I was privileged to witness a landmark in SL art. Tyrehl created a masterpiece of live performance creating an immersive machinima experience with astounding visual effects. My jaw dropped, took a limo downtown and went dancing..." FreeWee Ling

"Breathtakingly spectacular and a Must-see-to-believe adventure!" Galea Yates

"This is by far one fo the coolest things I have *ever* seen in SL... and I've seen a lot!" Sasun Steinbeck

"This is just brilliant, i have never seen such thing here! it was super! that camera control thing is awesome!" Rebeca Bashly

"This is the most beautiful and amazing things I have ever seen in SL. I'm speechless" Ponchituti
Boucher

"Most incredible Particle Show i ever seen in sl .. a must see for all !!! :)" claudia 222 Jewell

"Once Tyrehl takes the controls you are plunged into an immersive blend of color and sound that relax and stimulate the senses in amazing ways." Taralyn Gravois

Ongoing performance calendar may be found here: http://bit.ly/rOaEJb

PREVIEW IMAGES

Transport Station to the Event Horizon Theater SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA6/173/192/501

Month of Machinima: New Link for Submission Form & Upcoming Themes

2011-11-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

We've had a few bumps in the road as we've been making some transitions with LEA Month of Machinima, but we have a new, improved submission form, some new people getting involved with helping out organize the LEA's machinima initiatives, and some exciting things coming up, like the unveiling of the Machinima Studio Sandbox.

The theme for December is ENDINGS and the deadline is NOVEMBER 15.

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) selects and screens films made with machinima that focus on the arts, highlight the art of machinima, or are art films.

Each month's films are loosely connected by a common theme. Feel free to interpret the theme in interesting, artistic ways.

UPCOMING THEMES

Dec: Endings

Jan: Black and white

Feb: Rhythm

March: Speed

April: Fear

May: Twist

June: Hot/cold

Each month's selected films will be screened at the LEA Theater on the first Wednesday of the month (see http://lindenarts.blogspot.com/ for details) and be available all month on the web. NOTE: If your film is not chosen the month you submit, it will be kept in the database and may be chosen for another month.

HERE is the link to the form to submit your film.

LEA Announces Its Sandbox Curation Endowment

2011-11-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) announces its Sandbox Curation Endowment. This Endowment is a land grant of a quarter sim for three months.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Glad you asked. You place a work in the LEA Art Sandbox Self-Curating Gallery. Each week, given that there is available space, artists who have shown in the Self-Curating Gallery are nominated and voted on by the LEA Committee. The endowment recipient is approached by an administrator and offered a quarter sim.

WHERE'S THE LAND YOU'RE GIVING AWAY? The Endowment regions are LEA10, LEA11, LEA12, and LEA13. Each of these is parceled up into quarters, with a center landing spot. Please visit and check them out. Parcels have ~3700 prims apiece, and full parcel rights including terraforming.

HOW LONG DO I GET THE LAND? You'd have the land for three months. During that time, you'd be expected to have an event, such as an art opening or class or lecture.

REALLY? JUST PUT SOME WORK IN THE SANDBOX GALLERY? Yes. LEA Committee members want to support artists at all skill levels who are exploring the possibilities of virtual art.

HOW CAN I SHOW MY WORK IN A CROWDED GALLERY? There is only so much land in the LEA Art Sandbox sim, and only half of it is the Self-Curated Gallery. We've installed platforms in the sky which can accommodate more art. And of course you can always build your own installation in the sky. The sandbox rules apply, as always.

So come on down to the LEA Art Sandbox, place some work, and maybe you'll get a nomination...

--Solo Mornington

Important links:

LEA Art Sandbox

LEA Art Sandbox announcement

DEADLINE APPROACHING! NOV 1: APPLICATION FOR LEA LAND GRANTS

2011-10-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

APPLICATION FOR LEA LAND GRANTS DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 1

Fourteen regions will be awarded to applicants for LEA Land Grants for a period of five months. The application is here. DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 1, 2011.

The LEA Committee:

Bryn Oh
Dancoyote Antonelli
Dekka Raymaker
JayJay Zifanwe
L1Aura Loire
Sasun Steinbeck
Solo Mornington
Werner Kurosawa

PatriciaAnne Daviau (advisor)

LEA Land Rush Endowment!

2011-10-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's on, folks. :-)

WHAT? The LEA Land Rush Endowment. Grab some land, make art on it, have an event! See the earlier announcement for a more detail-rich explanation.

WHEN? October 30th, 10AM and 4PM SL time, which happens to also be Pacific timezone time.

WHERE? Two regions: LEA28 and LEA29. These regions are now open for your perusal. LEA28 will be the 10AM land rush, and LEA29 will be the 4PM one.

HOW? By joining the LEA Special Events group, you'll be able to see the announcement of when the region(s) are open for the rush. Once you rush in, find a way to click on one of the big red buttons. Once you've done that, and it tells you that you've won, you're set. If not, keep trying...

Step by step:

1) Join the LEA Special Events group. Because, as you know, this event is special.

2) Wait around until October 30th, which is the day of the land rush.

3) On the day of the rush, there will be two announcements on the LEA Special Events group, one at 10 AM, and one at 4 PM. These announcements will let you know that the regions are open.

4) Wear the group tag. You must be wearing the LEA Special Events group tag to claim land.

5) When this announcement is made, you can barrel into the region and look for the big red buttons.

6) Press a button. When you press a button, and it tells you that you've won, you will have claimed the land.

7) Once the dust settles down, we'll be able to invite you to the land group, and then you can start building.

8) Enjoy yourself, because even if you don't end up claiming some land, we'll do this all over again in 2 months.

--Solo Mornington

The Linden Endowment for the Arts announces its Land Rush Residency!

2011-10-18T02:15:00.000-07:00

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) wants you to have a place to create a virtual art exhibit and show it off. Towards this end, we've come up with the Land Rush Residency. The Land Rush Residency is a two-month, 1/8 region endowment awarded in a first-come, first-served basis.

In short: Show up, claim a parcel, and its yours for the purposes of art in the virtual world for two months.

WHEN? The first round of Land Rush Residencies will be awarded on October 30th, in two phases: 10 AM and 4 PM. (These are in SL time.) At this time, we will be awarding 16 parcels, on two regions.

HOW? The Land Rush Residency will be a process similar to Burning Life and Burn2's land rushes. Participants join an announcement group, and when the rush is announced, participants go to the region and click on a big red button on one of the parcels to claim it. A short time after that, the land will be offered for sale to the recipient and they can begin creating art.

HOW LONG? The Land Rush Residency lasts for 2 months. Please be sure and give yourself enough time not only to build great art, but also to show it off.

WHAT IS EXPECTED? As a recipient, you will be expected to have a public event, such as an art opening or lecture or performance. The LEA can help promote the event through our channels with advance notice. Beyond that, while all art is welcome, the LEA hopes to promote art which exploits the possibilities of the virtual world. Endowments which are not of an artistic nature can (and likely will) be revoked, at the discretion of the endowment administrators and/or committee members. The LEA has a reasonable terms-of-service for its Endowments, and, of course, Second Life Terms of Service and Community Standards also apply. Land Rush Endowment regions have a Moderate maturity rating.

Please mark your calendar and keep reading this 'blog for more details as the date approaches.

Thanks!

--Solo Mornington

10/15 2PM PDT: Interactive Performance @SENSES PLACES mixed reality dance-technology environment to open InterACT!

2011-10-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

2PM PDT: Interactive Performance @SENSES PLACES mixed reality dance-technology environment

Senses Places is a playful mixed reality performance environment for audience participation. An ongoing dance-technology collaboration generating whole body multimodal interfacings keen to a somatic cross-cultural dance approach. Senses Places stresses the awareness and integration of simultaneous sensory-perceptions, local-remote embodied connections, a place where participants and environments meet and engage kinesthetic/synesthetically.

What emerging embodied realities and cultural specific exchanges will surface in the multi-participant multifaceted involvement? Linked accumulatively or not to the suggested interfaces: Livestream, webcam, Wiimote©, and soon Kinect©, it will all depend on the participants’ interactive experience with their own and each other’s physical bodies, video mediations, avatar moves, and/or environmental changes.

Senses Places - Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment by:

Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde, PT
Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane, NZ
In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, JP
Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida; JP
Anisabel/Ana Moura, PT

With: CILxJAM + APROXIMATE
Also Physical site @ Ler Devagar, Rua Rodrigues Faria,, Lx Factory, 1300-501 Alcântara, Lisboa, PORTUGAL
(Antiga Gráfica Mirandela em Alcântara) 103 - Ed. G - 0.3,

Note to the Participants: SENSES PLACES' SL environment is always open and you can get the desktop-free interfaces, plus the Livestream channels' logins and passwords to share your video image, from the SENSES PLACES Giver in the space. Just copy and follow the instructions.
You need to have a webcam and, for the wii mote, a mac computer. And an extra camera for the livestream video.
We would appreciate if you send some feedback about your experience or help message, in case you have a problem running the interfaces.
Good Luck!!!

InterACT LEA ART SHOW
OPENING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2 PM PDT

On LEA4: InterACT!, curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay
Opening October 15, 2 pm PDT
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/21/9/21

Virtual art can invite, or even insist, that you interact with it. The artists in this exhibition cleverly and creatively make art out of interactions between data, objects, actions, and people within and beyond the virtual world in a stunning array of installations and experiences that stretch the possibilities of virtual art. Expect the unexpected, and click whenever you can. #interactLEA

INTERACT! OPENING ON LEA4 SATURDAY, OCT 15, 2 PM PDT

2011-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

OPENING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2 PM PDT
INTERACT

On LEA4: InterACT!, curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay
Opening October 15, 2 pm PDT

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/21/9/21

Virtual art can invite, or even insist, that you interact with it. The artists in this exhibition cleverly and creatively make art out of interactions between data, objects, actions, and people within and beyond the virtual world in a stunning array of installations and experiences that stretch the possibilities of virtual art. Expect the unexpected, and click whenever you can. #interactLEA

2PM PDT: Interactive Performance @SENSES PLACES mixed reality dance-technology environment

Senses Places is a playful mixed reality performance environment for audience participation. An ongoing dance-technology collaboration generating whole body multimodal interfacings keen to a somatic cross-cultural dance approach. Senses Places stresses the awareness and integration of simultaneous sensory-perceptions, local-remote embodied connections, a place where participants and environments meet and engage kinesthetic/synesthetically.

What emerging embodied realities and cultural specific exchanges will surface in the multi-participant multifaceted involvement? Linked accumulatively or not to the suggested interfaces: Livestream, webcam, Wiimote©, and soon Kinect©, it will all depend on the participants’ interactive experience with their own and each other’s physical bodies, video mediations, avatar moves, and/or environmental changes.

Installations by:

Eupalinos Ugajin
Glyph Graves
Lorin Tone
Maya Paris
Misprint Thursday
PinkPink Sorbet
Selavy Oh

Senses Places - Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment by:

Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde, PT
Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane, NZ
In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, JP
Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida; JP
Anisabel/Ana Moura, PT

With: Mesh by Sage Duncan, Machinima Mutoscope Viewers by FreeWee Ling, Flickr Viewer by Solo Mornington, Twitter Garden by Frans Charming, Inner Tube Ride by UzzU Artful

Introducing the LEA Land Grant

2011-10-09T21:25:00.001-07:00

LEA Land Grant

Click the tab above to fill out the online application
Application Deadline: November 1

LEA Land Grant application:

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) has negotiated with Linden Labs to make available twenty new regions for the arts in Second Life. Four regions will be reserved for exhibitions curated from LEA sandbox art, and two will be allocated through a land rush. Details will follow on those six regions. Fourteen will be allocated by application. These regions will be awarded to selected artists for a period of five months. After the completion of five months those regions will be transferred to a new set of awardees. Recipients can be considered for a second endowment of five months.

Choose a category you wish to apply for and write a 200 word description of what you plan to achieve over the endowment period. Include a curriculum vitae or resume, and/or ways to see previous work (links to images, YouTube, slurl, websites).

Art organizations, patrons, or curators applying for a region should be able to show an active record of supporting the arts within Second Life or experience in first life that can be translated to the virtual world.

Thank you for your interested in the LEA Land Grant Award, a five-month grant of land for art.

Please answer all questions.

1. Please enter your full Second Life name. (This should be your username, not your display name.)

2. Please enter your primary email address. (This is the email address by which we will contact you if your application is accepted.)

3. I am applying for a region as a:

1. individual

2. group of artists working together (including performance)

3. representative of artist organization

4. patron

5. curator

6. other

4. I am applying for a full ___ or half ____ region
5. Application Title:
6. Describe your proposed art project in 200 words or less:
7. Maturity rating of your project:

General

Moderate

8 Please include your cv or resume. Attach or link.
9. Please include links to previous work (images, video, etc.)
10. Do you understand Second Life’s Terms of Service and Community Standards and do you agree to abide by them while participating in this Linden Endowment for the Arts event?

Terms of Service: http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php
Community Standards: http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php

Yes, I understand Second Life’s Terms of Service and Community Standards and agree to abide by them.

8. Do you understand the Linden Endowment for the Arts’ Code of Conduct and do you agree to abide by the Code while participating in this Linden Endowment for the Arts event?

Code of Conduct

Yes, I understand the Linden Endowment for the Arts’ Code of Conduct and agree to abide by the Code.

Thank you for submitting your proposal to the Linden Endowment for the Arts!

The LEA committee:

Bryn Oh
Dancoyote Antonelli
Dekka Raymaker
JayJay Zifanwe
L1 Loire
Sasun Steinbeck
Solo Mornington
Werner Kurosawa

PatriciaAnne Daviau (advisor)

ANNOUNCING LEA 1-4 ART SHOWS

2011-10-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Linden Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce four art shows opening in mid-October:

On LEA1: The 2011 Survey of Hyperformalists in Second Life, curated by DC Spensley AKA DanCoyote

Opening October 15, 1PM PDT

The Museum of Hyperformalism, founded in 2006, to promote the unique genre of metasculptural abstraction in simulated space.

featuring the metasculptural artwork of:

Josina Burgess

Oberon Onmura

Ray FX

Sabine Stonebender

Selavy Oh

Suzanne Graves

Velasquez Bonetto

On LEA2: The Path, curated by Bryn Oh

Opening October 14

Based off the Surrealists exquisite corpse concept, each artist was randomly given a scene to compose. A narrative is begun by artist one who then passes it on to artist number two. Artist two adds to the story and passes it on to three and so on until the narrative reaches its conclusion at artist number eight.

Artists in order by scene

1-Bryn Oh

2-Colin Fizgig

3-Marcus Inkpen

4-Desdemona Enfield / Douglas Story

5-Maya Paris

6-Claudia222 Jewell

7-Scottius Polke

8-Rose Borchovski

On LEA3: FAST ART: Competitive Build Improvisation In The Virtual World, hosted by Solo Mornington

A series of speed build competitions, until the sim is full.

Twice-weekly events, with a number of options for artists in all time zones.

On LEA4: InterACT!, curated by L1Aura Loire/Lori Landay

Opening October 15, 2 pm PDT

Installations by:

Eupalinos Ugajin

Glyph Graves

Lorin Tone

Maya Paris

Misprint Thursday

PinkPink Sorbet

Selavy Oh

Senses Places - Mixed Reality Participatory Performance Environment by:

Butler2 Evelyn/Isabel Valverde, PT

Toddles Lightworker/Todd Cochrane, NZ

In Yan/Keiji Mitsubuchi, JP

Island Habana/Yukihiko Yoshida; JP

Anisabel/Ana Moura, PT

With: Mesh by Sage Duncan, Machinima Mutoscope Viewers by FreeWee Ling, Flickr Viewer by Solo Mornington, Twitter Garden by Frans Charming, Inner Tube Ride of Your Life by UzzU Artful

All four art shows will run for three months.

Also, on LEA6, ongoing, monthly, the LEA Full Sim Art Series

LEA Avatar Art Games, every Monday, 4 pm PDT, on LEA3

and the first Wednesday of each month, 7 pm PDT, at the LEA Theater, the Month of Machinima Screening Event, with conversations about the films with L1Aura Loire & the filmmakers

Check back here for more information about opening events, schedules for LEA3 speed builds, performances, and more . . . including some big news from the LEA.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (OCTOBER): Rebeca Bashly's 'Inferno'

2011-10-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA FULL SIM ART SERIES, kick off in October with Rebeca Bashly's 'Inferno' and jjccc Coronet's 'jjccc Art'

Rebeca Bashly's 'INFERNO'

Opening Date & Time: 6pm slt, Saturday 1st October

Location: STARTING POINT OF REBECA BASHLY'S INFERNO

Nakoto Exonar's Machinima 'Inferno' on Rebeca's Build

URBAN STEAMPUNK'S Machinima, "Nightmares' on Rebeca's Build
Living in a Modem World Review

Nepherses Amat Blog

On Merisana Art Blog

On UWA Blog

Review on Nordan Art Blog

Review on Quan's Travelogues

Review on Virtual Outworlding Blog
Machinima by YT Recreant

Machinima by Abdullah Yazimoto (Psychedelic Rock Version)

Machinima by Abdullah Yazimoto (Metal Version)

TOXX News Site

Cait's World Website

Victoria Lennoire Review

On Linden Labs Editor's Picks

Japanese Blogger Temi Sirbu on Inferno

Japanese Blogger Temi Sirbu on Inferno (Part II)
Japanese Blogger Temi Sirbu on Inferno (Part III)
Second Russia Blog on Inferno
Machinima by jjccc Coronet, 'The Hell of Rebeca Bashly'
Quan's Travelogues
I Derryth's Blog
Kara's Korner
Rosetta Ricci Flickr Photo Set of Inferno (200 images)
SL Newser Design Review
From Japan to SL
SL Newser
University of Texas at San Antonio Blog
Machinima By Sliennedunord on Inferno
Machinima By Zarrakan 'Dante's Inferno'
Machinima By MoanaLittleBoots 'Dante's Inferno'
Caledonian Journey Blog (Rhianon Jameson)
Honour McMillan's Blog
Fuzonacid Machinima
Cecil Hirvi Machinima 'A Placid Ocean of Uncertain Liberties'
The Karro Lean's Blog (French)

jjccc Coronet's 'jjccc Art'
Opening Date & Time: 7pm slt, Saturday, 1st October
Location: UWA SKY SIM SERIES
jjccc Art a 'Featured Event' on the Linden Lab Destination Guide
On UWA Blog
Victoria Lennoire Review
TOXX News Site
Temi Sirbu on jjccc Coronet's Art
A NicoleX Moonwall Machinima of jjccc Coronet's Installation
Another NicoleX Moonwall Machinima of jjccc Coronet's Installation
Yet another NicoleX Moonwall Take on jjccc Coronet

In Rebeca's words, "If I wanted to do descriptions and explanations I would be a writer, but I am a builder and this text is generously provided by Flora Nordenskiold."

Rebeca Bashly’s work Inferno is a nine-level work based upon the nine circles of suffering described in the Inferno, the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Fourteenth-Century poem, the Divine Comedy. The nine circles of the Inferno (or Hell) are located within earth and are separated into three parts, representing three types of sin; self-indulgent sins (the first five circles), violent sins (circles six and seven) and malicious sins (circles eight and nine).

The journey starts off in the dark woods, where we first meet Virgil, the poet, who will guide us in our travels to the underworld and through the nine circles of hell. The grey, threatening seeming forest consists of barren trees, with suffering faces as an integral part of their trunks. On our journey, we will continue seeing Virgil, not only as a guide, but also a teleport, transporting us through the nine circles of hell. We eventually enter hell through the Gate of Hell, noting the inscription “abandon all hope” above the gate. The entrance is large and dark, lending a sense of doom.

The first circle, Limbo, is a region on the edge of hell and it is meant for those who did not accept Christ, in some sense it is a lesser form of Heaven. The stone castle with the seven gates, representing seven virtues, is large and dark. We enter from a bridge and then find ourselves standing in a yard, with a grass ground, in front of groups of white, translucent figures sitting on the grass in the dark; these are some of the great thinkers, wise men, scientists, poets and philosophers. Entering the castle, we first come across Homer and Socrates. As we continue, climbing winding stairs, we see other white, translucent figures, there is even a child in a closet at the bottom of the staircase.

The second circle, Lust, contains those led astray by lust; these are the first ones truly punished in hell. We find ourselves standing in a barren, moonlike landscape, on the edge of a large, deep hole, out of which a reddish, translucent whirlwind of faces appear. These faces seem to be in great agony and distress. Here we witness the conflict of love and lust and the tension between attraction and desire.

The third circle, Gluttony, is a space for those involved with self-indulgence and addiction. This is a gloomy place where people lie scattered in a brownish area containing vile slush and mud produced by a never-ending muddy rain. There is a sense of doom and darkness hovering over these people suffering in their own misery.

The fourth circle, Greed, contains two groups of those plagued by over-consumption; those who hoard and those who waste. We witness a struggle here; people pushing large, heavy balls in a barren, grey landscape. They seem to be going nowhere, yet appear to be investing an enormous amount of effort. There is no winner and it never ends. This is a place where people punish and insult each other, but without effect. This group is ultimately the most offensive to the spirit of love.

The fifth circle, Anger, is represented by those who can no longer find joy; those who express anger (wrath) and those who repress it (sullenness). We find here groups of deadly pale individuals covered in blood, biting off each others' flesh, clearly in agony and struggling. They are situated in the Stygian marsh, in the swamp-like water of the river Styx. There is a sense of intense frustration.

The sixth circle, Heresy, is a location where violent and malicious sins are punished. We find at the entrance to the ironclad walls of the city Dis three blood covered figures with threatening heads; these are the three furies. Once we pass them, we are inside the city, surrounded by people trapped in flaming tombs. We can see here Farinata, extending and towering out of his tomb and Cavalcante, who only lifts his head above the edge of his tomb.

The seventh circle, Violence, consists of three rings; outer, middle and inner. The outer ring represents violence against people and property; those staying there are punished, resulting in a river of blood. This ring is guarded by the violent Centaurs, men from the waist up with lower bodies of horses. The middle ring holds violence against self; these persons are living in a horrid forest. Harpies, foul creatures with the head of a woman and body of a bird, are perched in suicide trees. The inner ring symbolizes violence against God and nature; those situated there find themselves on barren sand ignited by sparks of fire.

The eight circle, Fraud, can be reached only by descending a vast cliff on the back of Geryon, a winged monster with mixed human, bestial and reptilian nature. Those guilty of deliberate evil are located in Malebolge (evil pockets), which in turn is divided into ten Bolgie, or ditches of stone, with bridges spanning the ditches. The ten bolgie contain seducers, flatterers, those committing simony, false prophets, corrupt politicians, hypocrites, thieves, fraudulent advisers, sowers of discord and various kinds of falsifiers.

The ninth circle, Treachery, contain those who have committed acts which involve betraying some kind of special relationship. We see these traitors being frozen in a green-blue, or teal, colored lake of ice known as Cocytus. Ice spikes surround them. In the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin, personal treachery against God, is Satan. Satan presents with three faces (black, red and yellow), a large imposing figure, beating his six wings; this act is ultimately what causes the river Cocytus to freeze.

LEA FULL SIM & UWA SKY SIM SERIES LINEUP

2011-09-15T23:46:00.001-07:00

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (Poster Credit: Rebeca Bashly)

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, which came to life following the end of the UWA FULL SIM ART SERIES is about to kick off with the displays proper across the months of October 2011 - March 2012.

For this series, each artist/group of artists will have a full 15,000 prim SIM for 1 month from the 1st day of the month, till the last day of the month. Events will launch when the artists say it is ready!

Following a great application round, we are proud to present the lineup for the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, which will start on the 1st of October:

THE LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES

OCT 2011: Rebeca Bashly's 'Inferno', inspired by Dante Aligieri's Divine Comedy, Inferno
NOV 2011: JOINT, Tyrehl Byk's "~(Not-A-Knot)" and The Pink Tutu Ballet Group's 'Forgiving' inspired by Desmond Tutu (Group Members: Marmaduke Arado, Kikas Babenco, Sca Shilova, Cat Shilova, Saveme Oh, Eupalinos Ugajin, Luce Laval & Rose Borchovski)
DEC 2011: Haveit Neox's 'Binary Green' where bots take over the earth
JAN 2012: Artistide Despres 'Research on Musical Instruments'
FEB 2012: Romy Nayar & Ux Hax 'An Interactive History of Life'
MAR 2012: Kicca Igaly and Nessuno Myoo's 'The Labyrinth of Absurdity'

The range of applications was so amazing and strong, that the University of Western Australia (UWA) closed one of their 2 sandboxes, and converted it for use for the UWA SKY SIM SERIES, set up to provide an avenue for some of the other great proposals for the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES. The UWA SKY SIM Series will run parrellel to the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES. The difference is that for the UWA series, 5,000 prims would be available instead of 15, with a SIM-wide platform in the sky being set up:

THE UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES

OCT 2011: jjccc Coronet's organic Peace Sculpture
NOV 2011: RazorZ's 'Forest'

JAN 2012: Asmita Duranjaya, Chapter ChapTer Kronfeld & Louly Loon's 'Between Orient and Occident'
FEB 2012: Giovanna Cerise's 'Cyborg -Nature' where Nature rebels against the thoughtlessness of man
MAR 2012: Fiona Blaylock's tribute to the poetry of Samuel Coleridge (Kubla Khan, etc.)

Many other wonderful and amazing proposals were received that we hope to be able to showcase sometime.

Full blog posts on each of the projects will be up as they are rolled out.

.DEC 2011: Luna Metamorphia's 'Interactive Zoo of Endangered Species'

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES Comes to Life!

2011-09-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES rises from the ashes of UWA

The day following the announcement of the end of the UWA FULL SIM ART SERIES, serendipity chose for the birth of the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES. Indeed were it not for the UWA full sim art series, the LEA series would not have arisen in this way, and further, if not for the death of the same series, the Phoenix would not have risen here either. This truly is the end of one age, and the beginning of another!

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, will initially run for 6 months, starting 1st October 2011, and ending on the 31st of March 2012. All artists in SL will be able to apply to have a FULL SIM art show, and the closing date for applications is the 10th of September (we would be keen to highlight those whose works have not had the opportunity to have been shown on such a scale before)

What you get:
1) The FULL SIM to use inclusive of the media and UP TO 15,000 prims (you dont have to use all)
2) The SIM will be given to the artist on the 1st day of the month
3) When to launch the show will be up to the artist
4) Shows will end on the final day of the month, and the next artist will receive use of the SIM from the 1st day of the next month
5) An article on the LEA Blog, UWA Blog, Bryn Oh's blog, Second Life arts and entertainment, the Virtual Outworlding Blog and the ToxxNews Website will appear at the start of the show, or during the show (The list above are those who had expressed their interest in writing about each of the exhibits. Other bloggers who have a similar interest, need only to inform of us of their desire and they will be added to the list.)

How to Apply:
1) Send a NC to both Jayjay Zifanwe and Bryn Oh with a 100 word description of what your plan for the full sim artwork is.
2) Include in the NC, the names of anyone who might be working with you on the FULL SIM creation
3) Indicate on the NC which month you prefer, Oct 2011, Nov 2011, Dec 2011, Jan 2012, Feb 2012, Mar 2012 (1st, 2nd, 3rd preference)

* As serendipity would also have it, one hour prior to me writing this announcement, Fae Varriale submitted the Phoenix pictured above to the August Round of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Linden Lab Destination Guide on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Linden Lab Blog on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Bryn Oh Blog on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Virtual Outworlding Blog on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Virtually Real Blog on LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Modemworld Blog on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
Toxx News on the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
From Japan to SL (Temi Sirbu Blog)

This is how the land looks like now!

Untouched

Special Announcement Coming Soon

2011-08-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

Special Announcement coming soon to a Second Life near you!

Watch for it!

LEA Art Sandbox Opens Friday May 20!

2011-05-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce the opening of the LEA Art Sandbox on 5/20 at noon! Come by and check it out!

The Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) exists to help people understand and create virtual art in Second Life. Therefore, the LEA Art Sandbox exists for the same purpose, by giving Residents space to build and play and experiment with the tools of Second Life …. for art. :-)

LEA Art Sandbox Building Areas

The LEA Art Sandbox is located on the LEA5 region, which is split into the following parcels:

General Sandbox Area: This is what people think of when they think of a sandbox. A big area of virtual land with a relatively long autoreturn time.
Self-Curating Gallery Area: The purpose of this area is to provide Second Life artists a two-week place to rez their work, and to provide other Residents a place to browse the works of Second Life artists.
Building Resource Area: This area contains freebie build tools, LDPW and Torley texture collections, and so forth. It is the landing point, and visitors can get the sandbox rules and policies from the kiosk at the landing point location.

In all areas, scripting will be turned off for non-group Residents. Residents who join the land group can run scripts. The group is open to the public, so anyone can join. Just search on “LEA Art Sandbox” to find the group.

Month of Machinima (MoM)

2011-05-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

The Linden Endowment of the Arts (LEA) is proud to announce its first official community event: The Month of Machinima (MoM) event begins May 4, 2011—and you’re invited. If you enjoy creating and watching world-class machinima, then this is the event for you.

The objective of the event is to promote Second Life machinima, encourage the creation of new work, and showcase existing work to the community and beyond. It serves as an opportunity to introduce Residents to the machinima art form and to support the machinima community to continue to create these films for everyone to enjoy. MoM is a recurring event, continuing each month with juried screenings of community-created machinima.

About the LEA
The LEA is currently accepting machinima submissions (by April 10) for consideration in the next month’s screening. The purpose of the LEA is to help create a center of arts activity in Second Life. The LEA is committed to providing access to engaging experiences in the arts for the Second Life community. Through its exhibitions, programs, and events, the LEA fosters awareness of artists’ contributions to our virtual world and encourages others to get involved and inspired.

Interested in participating? You can learn more about MoM and apply to have your machinima included in the event here.

This is the first of many upcoming events and programs to be produced by the LEA and its dedicated board of artists and arts enthusiasts from the Second Life community, so stay tuned!

Welcome!

2011-01-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Linden Endowment for the Arts blog. We will be posting notices about what's going on at the LEA sims here, so subscribe to our RSS feed to keep in the loop!